Leave the light on
by jayni-guardian
Summary: Schmoop bingo prompt. The power goes out in a warehouse that Sam and Gabriel are in. Secrets and fears are discovered, and the start of something new. Bad summary. Protective!Sam, Sad!Scared!Gabriel


Hi! This is my first attempt at SPN fanfic, so please don't be too harsh! This is from the LJ schmoop bingo prompt 'cuddling during power outage'.

**Title: Leave the light on**  
**Rating: PG**  
**Characters and/or pairing: Sam/Gabriel, Dean**  
**Spoilers: 5x22**  
**Warnings: Boy-kissing**

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Not much could surprise Sam Winchester. He'd seen many monsters and triumphed over them. Hell, he'd been taken by the devil as a vessel, fallen down into Hell, and survived. Not much was left to surprise him.

Except perhaps a scared archangel. Former-Archangel, that is.

That was worrying. And a bit pathetic, to be honest.

"Gabe, it's just a power-cut."

"Yeah, in the night. In a warehouse. A _deserted_ warehouse." Gabriel replied tetchily. However, in the flash of lightning that followed, Gabriel's honey-coloured eyes were shining with panic and fear. It was a brief clue, due to the lightning being the only light available, but it was a clue nonetheless. Gabriel, former archangel of the Lord, was scared.

"For crying out loud, Gabriel; what _is_ it? Since when were you scared of anything?" Sam snapped as more lightning streaked across the sky. He didn't expect to see Gabriel flinch away at the tone. He was annoyed, but not at the former archangel.

After the near – apocalypse, it turned out Sam wasn't the only one to return. A week into the newly reunited Winchester brothers' trip, and Gabriel had been brought to them by Castiel. Apparently, although he'd been brought back, his punishment was to spend his vessel's lifetime as a human. His grace had been locked up, his wings bound inside the vessel. Essentially, he was human. At least when it was over he could return to being an angel.

Luckily, his time as a Trickster meant he knew how to do many things, although he still struggled a bit with sleep. But it was clear at times that he was frustrated by this new position in the universe. Still, at least he'd settled. Sam and Dean had been wary, at to be honest had been rather cold and cruel to start with. But Castiel helped to bring them together, and when Gabriel had pushed Sam out of the way of a lunging wendigo at taken the claw to the chest himself, he'd been finally accepted. In the days after that, Sam had seen a new side to Gabriel, one he'd been blind to previously. With a gash now on his chest and Gabriel unable to heal himself, he needed a bandage. But when Dean started to remove his shirt, the former archangel had whimpered and shrunk away, blushing furiously. He was, it seemed, shy to let others near him. Eventually, Sam had taken pity on him, shooed Dean and Castiel out of the room, and turned back to the trembling archangel. He had gently removed the shirt, carefully cleaned the wound, softly applied the bandages and helped Gabriel to pull on a new shirt. And, although he'd later deny it, as Sam helped him to lie down he had wrapped him arms around the younger Winchester's waist and gently hugged him. Sam blamed the painkillers, but it seemed that as Sam returned the hug gingerly, Gabriel had calmed down a bit, until he started to fall asleep.

Over the weeks, it had turned out that Gabriel was a touchy sort of person. Resting a hand on Castiel's back when the younger angel had been injured. Brushing shoulders with Dean as they walked. Placing his fingers on the back of Sam's neck when leaning forward in the Impala.

But Gabriel used most contact with Sam. Occasionally, it would be Castiel, and on a rare occasion Dean, but the majority was used on the younger Winchester brother. Oddly enough, it tended to happen when one of them was injured. Contact with Sam seemed to calm him.

Back to their current situation, however. Sam sighed. "Look, I'm sorry I snapped. But a power cut? Or is it storms? Or – "

Gabriel murmured something. "Pardon?" Sam asked.

"I said…it's the dark." Gabriel replied, his voice a mixture of agitation and shame. And since when could Sam read the former archangel's voice? But that wasn't the point.

"You? Gabriel, ex-archangel…_scared of the dark_?" Sam spluttered. This was brilliant! Priceless! He could use this for – A sniffling sound, almost like a choked sob, broke through his thoughts.

"Gabriel? Gabe…are you OK?" Sam asked cautiously.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine, Sasquatch. You quite done laughing? Or do you need to continue?" Gabriel snapped. But with the next lightning flash Sam saw tears on Gabriel's face, whilst he'd wrapped his arms around himself. Something clenched in his gut at the sight, something he'd been fighting against, because come on – _Gabriel_? He didn't start a chance, so what was the point in trying?

Without realising, he'd moved forwards so far that he was doing an impression with Cas' version of personal space.. He froze, but then realised that Gabriel hadn't seen him yet. So, tentatively, he put an arm around Gabriel's shoulders. Gabriel tensed and inhaled sharply.

"Sam…what are you doing?" he asked. He was trying for indignant, disgusted even, but Sam could feel him trembling under his arm. Instead of answering, Sam sat down on the crates he'd seen behind him, and pulled Gabriel onto his lap, wrapping his arms around the shorter man's waist and chest. Gabriel completely froze up for a few seconds, before gently curling up in Sam's lap, resting his head under Sam's chin and tentatively placing his arms around Sam's neck. Although he was still trembling, he seemed to be calming slightly.

"Gabe?" Sam questioned, knowing Gabriel would understand what he was asking about.

"It's just…our Father's presence, it's like being bathed with light, far greater than the light of an angel…" Gabriel started. He sniffed, and as another thunderclap rolled across the sky, he whimpered. Sam tightened his hold.

"Well, being without the Father…if you are a Fallen, or have been cast out…it's like being in darkness." Gabriel continued, voice trembling. "So, the dark…it reminds me of…of that…" His voice cracked near the end of the sentence, and he choked on another sob.

"Hey, hey…Gabe? Gabriel it's OK, it's alright, shush…" Sam murmured soothingly into the angel's hair, pulling him closer still and gently rubbing his back "You know what? You won't be alone like that, not any more. _You have us_. You have Dean, and Castiel – they care about you. And…you have me." And with that, Sam placed his hands on either side of Gabriel's face, pressed his face up – and kissed him. The kiss was chaste, as the younger Winchester suddenly realised what he was doing and started to pull away. However, Gabriel followed him, surging forwards slightly. Sam pulled away quickly. "Gabriel…"

"Let me," Gabriel pleaded, "Sam, please, let me just have this, _please_…" Sam sighed. This was going to cause some problems in the future, but – "Ok." He replied simply.

Gabriel closed the distance once more and kissed Sam gently. He ran his tongue lightly along the taller man's bottom lip, asking entrance. Sam quickly accepted and parted his lips, allowing the former archangel to explore his mouth delicately with his tongue. Sam responded by twining his tongue around Gabriel's, the smaller man letting out a surprised whimper. They stayed like that for a while, kissing and occasionally breaking apart for air, as the storm subsided around them and the power returned. A yell finally broke them apart.

"Sam? Sammy? Gabriel? Where are you?" Dean yelled. "In here!" Sam yelled back. Soon the door opened and a bedraggled Dean appeared.

"What happened to _you_?" Gabriel asked, smirking. Sam could have sworn that Dean blushed. "We – I mean I – I mean…caught in the rain…" Dean stammered. Then he glanced between them and smirked. "So Gabe…did you have to put up with Sam's girly squeals? He was probably scared of the dark or something!" Without waiting for an answer, Dean turned on his heel and walked out. Sam and Gabriel glanced at each other. Gabriel cleared his throat.

"I…um…" He started, but Sam cut him off.

"I won't tell him. Or Cas. I promise."

Gabriel's smile was definitely worth keeping it secret.

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Well? Reviews are EPIC love! Please, **_please_** tell me what you think!


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